Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: Spermophilus columbianus

These little Columbian Ground Squirrels are seen only in the mountains, not in the city. Photographed this one when friends, Cathy and Terry, and I, had a quick stop on 15 May 2014. Saw quite a few of them during our two-day trip through the Rocky Mountains, west of Calgary. I always think of these animals eating grass and plants, so I found the following information interesting. "Diet includes a wide variety of vegetation: roots, bulbs, stems, leaves, seeds, and berries. Also eats some animal food (e.g., insects, mice, dead fish). May climb into trees and shrubs to obtain buds and fruits. Spends about 70% of year in hibernation." www.iucnredlist.org/details/42466/0 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbian_ground_squirrel

These little Columbian Ground Squirrels are seen only in the mountains, not in the city. Photographed this one when friends, Cathy and Terry, and I, had a quick stop on 15 May 2014. Saw quite a few of them during our two-day trip through the Rocky Mountains, west of Calgary. I always think of these animals eating grass and plants, so I found the following information interesting. "Diet includes a wide variety of vegetation: roots, bulbs, stems, leaves, seeds, and berries. Also eats some animal food (e.g., insects, mice, dead fish). May climb into trees and shrubs to obtain buds and fruits. Spends about 70% of year in hibernation." www.iucnredlist.org/details/42466/0

These little Columbian Ground Squirrels are seen only in the mountains, not in the city. Photographed this one when friends, Cathy and Terry, and I, had a quick stop on 15 May 2014. Saw quite a few of them during our two-day trip through the Rocky Mountains, west of Calgary. I always think of these animals eating grass and plants, so I found the following information interesting. "Diet includes a wide variety of vegetation: roots, bulbs, stems, leaves, seeds, and berries. Also eats some animal food (e.g., insects, mice, dead fish). May climb into trees and shrubs to obtain buds and fruits. Spends about 70% of year in hibernation." www.iucnredlist.org/details/42466/0

This little guy/gal posed so nicely for us near the side of the road. Seen on a great day out with friends, Cathy and Terry, when we went west of Calgary to the mountains, on 20 May 2012. If I remember correctly, this was taken along the Smith-Dorrien road. Here, in the city, we only get the Richardson's Ground Squirrels, but in the mountains, you see these attractive Columbian Ground Squirrels. Don't like to say it, but I suspect the main purpose in life for Ground Squirrels is to provide snacks, lunches and dinners for predators such as Coyotes, Hawks, etc.. www.nhptv.org/natureworks/columbiangroundsquirrel.htm

This little guy/gal posed so nicely for us near the side of the road. Seen on a great day out with friends, Cathy and Terry, when we went west of Calgary to the mountains, on May 20th. Here, in the city, we only get the Richardson's Ground Squirrels. In the mountains, you get these attractive Columbian Ground Squirrels. Was out on a three-hour botany walk this morning and then had a volunteer shift all afternoon, so have been away from my computer all day - again. www.nhptv.org/natureworks/columbiangroundsquirrel.htm

This little guy/gal let me get surprisingly close when I was on a hike along the Ptarmigan Cirque Trail (Kananaskis, Rocky Mountains) two days ago. I'd hoped (well, kind of!) for a Grizzly Bear, but had to make do with this little Columbian Ground Squirrel, LOL. However, we did see an area where a Grizzly had been digging up the ground - and it looked very recent : ) "This is the largest Alberta ground squirrel, similar in appearance to the Richardsons Ground Squirrel. A difference noted immediately, besides it usually slightly larger size, is the rusty orange colour around the nose which often extends to the throat and forelegs and sometimes to the undersides, although this area has more of a yellowing wash. It has a somewhat longer, more bushy, frosty, dark-tipped tail. The head and nape is a slate grey. The short, fine fur has three bands of colours, resulting in the back being a decidedly dappled yellowish grey.... Highwood Pass is a good area to find these animals." From talkaboutwildlife.ca .

This Columbian Ground Squirrel gave me some fun moments last year, especially when I tried to catch it with its mouth wide open, mid-squeal. By the time my camera had processed each shot, the mouth was closed again. However, I did get a few "screams", LOL. This was seen on the way home after a hike at Ptarmigan Cirque, off Highway 40, Kananaskis. We get a different kind in the city - Richardson's Ground Squirrel. www.mnh.si.edu/mna/image_info.cfm?species_id=346